Christian Living

Walking With A Limp

by "Leta - Message Bringer"
07/27/23
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I’ll Finish the Course

Your Strength is Perfect When My Strength Is Gone

Part 3

of

“Am I A Christian

Dear Saints in Christ,

 There are times in this walk we walk with the realization of just how we  are faring at one given moment.  By my  stating this, I am not neglecting the truth that Christ is my strength, and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. What I'm saying  is as we walk day by day, our path is difficult sometimes, even though  the Lord is our strength and our salvation.  In spite of those  times when we are not perfect, He is still our strength and our salvation.

 I want you to take your time with this article and consider the previous two as you read.  What I am attempting here is to show you that your faith must be consistent and strong in the Lord.  Not in your power or in your strength, but in His, for Jesus died on the cross so that we might be healed of all of our iniquities and trespasses as it states in Isaiah 53.  The below verse also states:

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,

but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. “…..

Philippians 2:12-13

 And this we must do.

 I recall when I was a child, I was a tom boy.  I was the only child for quite some time, and my only playmates were my male cousins most of the time.  They were rough around the edges, and I always played my part of being just as rough and tough as them.  We were always building something, or might I say, “trying to build a house.”  This one particular one you should have seen.  The wood was used and weather worn.  The nails were rusty, and our hearts were diligent to build this magnificent house.  Yes, my cousin and I had a very vivid imagination.  We were convinced we could build just about anything.  Both our dads were contractors.  I guess we thought we were a chip off the old block.

 This one particular building project included me stepping with full force on a piece of lumber that had a nice long wood nail.  I don’t know if you are familiar with that type of nail.  It’s about 4 inches long.  It was protruding out of the piece of wood, and I so nicely stepped with all my weight; on this piece of wood.  I haven’t thought about this for years.  The Lord showed me this picture recently, and how it made me feel.

 It hurt.  Yes, it hurt a lot.  All of the dirt, and all of the rust rushed into my system when I stepped on that nail.  There was a lot of pain but I just kept playing.  I was such a tom boy, I don’t recall reporting this incident to my mom.  I simply continued playing.  Apparently, I had received a tetanus shot or I might not be here today.  There is a lot of damage that could have been done because of that rusty nail.         Let alone the unimaginable amount of germs that had collected on that nail over time. (Here I am hoping to give you some suggestions of the effects of rust, germs, and behaviors etc. in life; especially the collections of behaviors in life.  Hopefully, this may be a moment of reflection on some level of the things and possible rusty nails of your past that may have caused you to walk with a limp.)

 Think of what the Savior experienced.  My little nail in my foot was because of my negligence.  Just as  the limp I walk with in my life is because of me and my choices; but not our Lord.  Not our Christ.  He didn’t have a limp, but He took on this:

"Who has believed our message?

To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?

My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot,

like a root in dry ground.

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,

nothing to attract us to him.

He was despised and rejected—

a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.

We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.

He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;

it was our sorrows that weighed him down.

And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,

a punishment for his own sins!

But he was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Yet the LORD laid on him

the sins of us all.

He was oppressed and treated harshly,

yet he never said a word.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,

he did not open his mouth.

Unjustly condemned,

he was led away.

No one cared that he died without descendants,

that his life was cut short in midstream.

But he was struck down

for the rebellion of my people.

He had done no wrong

and had never deceived anyone.

But he was buried like a criminal;

he was put in a rich man’s grave.

But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him

and cause him grief.

Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,

he will have many descendants.

He will enjoy a long life,

and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.

When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,

he will be satisfied.

And because of his experience,

my righteous servant will make it possible

for many to be counted righteous,

for he will bear all their sins.

I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,

because he exposed himself to death.

He was counted among the rebels.

He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels."

Isaiah 53 New Living Translation

Why did I add the above scripture?  I added it for us to reflect, focus and to remember.  Remember what Yeshua experienced and recognize and remember why.  We must not forget our Savior’s love and to what degree He went to save us.  Even in looking upon Him in such a position, He may appear weak and poured out, but in His death came forth the glory that the Father had intended before the foundation of the world.

 We have  flaws.  We have weaknesses, but by His stripes we are healed.  If you read “Am I A Christian”, and “Concerning The Believer”, if you look closely you will see I am using this last message to bring together what both articles have spoken.  We are only strong when we realize where and in whom our strength lies.  And our strength lies in our knowledge of the Son of Man (our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah and the Father.) 

“…Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.  For You granted Him authority over all people so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him.  Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.  I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.  And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.”  John 17:1-5 

Though we are saved.  Though we are spirit filled.  Though we are born again, the Lord teaches us that we must pick up our crosses daily and follow Him.  We must remember who He is and who we are in Him, and follow Him.  The cross is a place of pain and death.  A limp is a constant reminder of the reason why we walk a certain way..

Paul Spoke of His Weakness

Who am I, if I were to stand before anyone and boast through teaching and instruction without confessing my faults and my weaknesses.  Paul even said, “follow me as I follow Christ.” 

He never boasted in himself, but was very clear in expressing his weaknesses to those in the body of Christ, and displayed those weaknesses as examples in conquering and becoming victorious over the flesh and becoming an overcomer. 

Those Who Had A Limp

Now when I speak of weaknesses. I'm talking about a personal limp. Let's look first before I tell you what my limp is, what’s my personal definition of a limp.  I'm giving you what I consider a limp In comparison to providing a definition from a dictionary. To me, when I use the word limp, I see a person. This person has difficulty walking. That difficulty is most likely the  result of some  type of injury or injuries, and some are born with a limp.  When he or she places pressure on the foot, or on the leg, or on that hip or in the back, he or she is not able to withstand the complete pressure of his steps, nor is he able to; without noticeable discomfort and a compromise in position which is noticed by others, can he walk.  Simply put, that is a limp.  I hope this makes sense.  In other words our limps are our flaws and shortcomings and weaknesses and bad habits. 

Patriarchs of the Bible

When I'm pondering something , I usually start seeing visual impressions, as with this today as I think about weaknesses resulting i.e. limps.  I remember stories of the great’s of the Bible; how the Lord used them, even with their imperfections.  We can start in Canaan with our father Abraham.

Abraham

Abraham was an old man before the Lord addressed him. I'm going to tell you, I'm an old woman; and for some reason, I don't know why, the Lord seems to enjoy including the elderly in His plan, and what a great plan, because  the Savior  came through the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even though Abraham was an old man. 

What was Abraham’s limp.  He listened to Sarah his wife.  Sarah believed God would give them a son, but she was looking at the weakness of her flesh and that of her husband’s, and thought for the Lord.  She worked out in her mind the rationale of Hagar becoming Abraham’s wife and giving him a child.  She did not understand that she didn’t have to do anything.  It was the Lord’s plan (not hers), and He would orchestrate the whole thing.  Since Abraham listened to Sarah; and in doing so, he begot Ishmael through Hagar; Sarah’s handmaid, and we know the rest of the story.  The story begins in Genesis chapter 17. 

The Lord visited Abraham and told him that He was going to give him a son and from his Seed he would not be able to number them because they would be many.  Through his seed “Christ” the world will be blessed. 

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:26-29

“But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.”  Romans 9:6-8

“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”  Romans 4:13

“Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”  Galatians 3:7

Jacob

Jacob literally was the epitome of a limp.  He is known as the supplanter or hill catcher.  We all know Jacob's story.  He tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright. He tricked his father into giving him Esau’s inheritance.  Jacob’s character warranted him seven years of working for Rachel's hand in marriage, only to find out that he had truly wedded Leah, and had to work an additional seven years for Rachel. Jacob himself stated he felt as though he was getting a just reward for tricking his twin brother.

And Jacob said to Pharaoh,

“The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” Genesis 47:9

Sounds to me that Jacob’s heart was full of regret because of the things he had done.  Despite his faults the Lord chose him to be the leader and a patriarch of the Nation of Israel.

When he was given leave to return to his home; the home of his father Issac, Jacob was in great fear because Esau  heard of his return, and he knew that Esau wanted him dead.  We know this story.  Jacob separated his people and his belongings and then went off to pray.  He wrestled all night with the Lord, and literally ended up with a limp, and having his name, his identity, his reputation, his character changed to Israel.

I believe as he wrestled with the Lord all night, he dealt with his shortcomings and he faced his sins and what He had done. During this time of encounter, I believe the Lord literally changed the heart of the sur-planter into that of a Prince of which there are varying interpretations

 Jacob Wrestles With God

“That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.  After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  The man asked him, “What is your name?”  “Jacob,” he answered.  Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”  Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”  But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.  So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”  The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.”   Genisis 32:22-31

 Israel Means

For a meaning of the name Israel, NOBSE Study Bible Name List, BDB Theological Dictionary and Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) unanimously go with the verb שרה of which the meaning is unsure. Undeterred, NOBSE reads God Strives, and BDB proposes El Persisteth or El Persevereth.

 Alfred Jones figures that the mysterious verb שרה might very well mean "to be princely," and assumes that the name Israel consists of a future form of this verb, which hence would mean to become princely. And so Jones interprets the name Israel with He Will Be Prince With God

Recalling Jacobs character and reputation, prior to his wrestling with the Lord, I would definitely call that his limp.  Jacob carried that limp as a mark in his body the remainder of his days.   His character changed and he became Israel.

They All Walked By Faith

Before reading any further be sure to thoroughly review Hebrews chapters 9 through 12.  This will give you the foundation needed to understand in whom to have faith.

This is how we walk.  This is how we overcome.  This is how we overcome in spite of the limp.  Faith in Christ and the work that He did on the cross.  What is our faith?  So, if you find yourself stumbling and being out of sorts, concerning matters, look at the root. Look at your foundation. Look at the acquaintance , knowledge and relationship you have with your Heavenly Father, and with His son Jesus (Yeshua).  How do you do this?  Through the knowledge of the word.  Get to know Him through the word, through fellowship with His Spirit and through prayer.  Take to heart what you’re reading.  He speaks to us through His word.  

Look closely at your faith in Him, or lack of it. Look dare I say: stare at Him and what you know about Him. Therein lies your peace.  Do you really know who it is that you're worshipping?. Get to know who He is.   Again I say,  get to know Him.  (When I say this, I am saying get to know I AM and His Son, Yeshua.  Become familiar with His Spirit and discern His Spirit.  Know Him.)  We are commanded to know his name. His name, which is his, and His memorial, His reputation and His identity, His character, His heart, His mind. How can we have faith in someone that we don't know? How can we not? Or how can we believe in someone that we’re not acquainted with. Build up your faith by having the knowledge of who your Savior is. Have the knowledge of who the Father is and the Spirit.

This is How They Overcame

Read the testimonies of the witnesses of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Prophets. Realize the root of their faith was in who they knew.  They all were acquainted with Him.  They all knew Him.  This is how they were able to overcome because they were not looking at the circumstances, they were looking at and believing in the great I AM. They were remembering and looking at the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They were not looking at a home or a promised land.  They were looking at the Christ. They were looking at true Salvation and restoration of man to the LORD.  This is what and who they were looking towards.  They were looking at the foundation of the Kingdom of heaven, not the foundation that was made by man. This is how they overcame. This is how they had faith. This is what they remembered and knew.  This was their faith.

Their faith was not in name it and claim it, as so many preach today.  If you read these chapters, it is clear that the faith of our fathers was in the coming Christ and His Salvation.  Not naming and claiming for houses and lands of this world.  Don’t be deceived saints.  Our faith is to be in the same faith as our father Abraham who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness,  because he believed that the LORD would send a Savior for mankind.  He believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. 

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Hebrews 12:1-2

If you believe in your heart of hearts, that you are a believer in Jesus (Yeshua) for the saving of your soul, if you are persuaded and you have a strong desire to walk this path the Lord has before you, take root in yourself.  Read the instruction book and take what He says to heart. Meditate on the instruction book. Learn the words of the instruction book, and get to know the author. 

He Himself Will Teach You

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”  John 14:26 

“You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.”  Nehemiah 9:20

So give the Lord space to teach you. Give Him attention and sit before Him every morning, as it is stated in Isaiah chapter 50 when they're talking about the taught One, the Christ. As a disciple, he's also speaking about us that we need to rise early and have our ear toned to listen, and our faces, like flint towards his word and towards Him. That is, set yourself in Christ. Believe in Him. Believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

“The Lord GOD has given Me

the tongue of discipleship,

to sustain the weary with a word.

He awakens Me morning by morning;

He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

The Lord GOD has opened My ears,

and I have not been rebellious,

nor have I turned back.

I offered My back to those who struck Me,

and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard.

I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.

Because the Lord GOD helps Me,

I have not been disgraced;

therefore I have set My face like flint,

and I know that I will not be put to shame.

The One who vindicates Me is near.”

                                                                Isaiah 50:4-8

We can't be relaxed in this. We have to move forward daily, faith by faith, and step by step; because in Him we live and we move and we have our being, not in ourselves.  In ourselves there is nothing good but weakness and limps. But in Him we live, in Him we move, in Him we have our being.

 A Measure of Faith

So take those weaknesses and give them to Jesus every day.  Just as it states in Isaiah 53

The scripture says. That he has given us all a measure of faith. He's given us gifts. When you know who the Lord is, you can walk in those gifts. When you know who he is, you can finish this race because you're keeping your eyes on the Lord.

Speaking of the witnesses of faith. We have such greater witness that you find in Hebrews. But you yourself also is a witness when you believe in Christ, and when you believe in the One who sent Him (the Father). Your faith and your knowledge in Him is your confidence. He will not forsake you. His word promises that, and his word also says that He is not a man, that he can lie.

So remember, your confidence is in the Lord.  Remember your personal faith is in Him. This has been established in you by the Lord through  your own personal experience and testimony.   This foundation is to all who walk in Him. It's your foundation in Christ himself that makes you believe what you believe. Stand on that. Stand on His Word (His promises, for they are yes and amen). Look at him when your trials come, because they will come.

Times of Trouble and Testing Will Come

In times of trouble and testing, the scripture says that we are to count it all joy. Knowing that the trying of our faith works patience.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” 

James 1:2-8

Just ask Jacob  about his 14 year battle. With the climax of his brother coming towards him. Esau coming to kill him, and the climax of Jacob wrestling with the Lord. Jacob did not give up. He was afraid. Think about it, when he was wrestling, wrestling, wrestling.   Doesn't your spirit wrestle sometimes with the Lord? Then wrestle saint, wrestle.  You're not letting go. You're holding on tight. You're holding on tight to Him, to his promises, to his word, to whom you know He is.  In spite of that test and in spite of that trial, you're holding on and wrestling. So count it, joy.

Allow that circumstance, allow whatever it is, those rejections, that heartbreak; being forsaken by others to turn for His glory. Let the trying of your faith work that patience.  It will yield character and maturity.  So wrestle with that limp and don’t let go of the Lord until He blesses you with a new stronger and more mature you.

A New Level In Christ

Allow wrestling to bring you to a new level of maturity and identity in Christ.  Saints, is this not what Jacob did? If you look at it, his trial began the moment he deceived his father. That's when it started. Read the whole thing. It begins in Genesis chapter 25.  Jacob did not forget the God of his Father Abraham and Isaac throughout his trials. He did not forget Him nor His promises. He did not let go of the promise.  He could still see it. He even spoke on his trip on the reason why he was going through what he was going through because of what he had done.  I believe Jacob was completely aware of his mindset at the time of his device. He must have realized after the fact, or maybe before the fact, what he had done and what he was doing, and the change (the climax) took place well after 14 years.

After Jacob wrestled all night with the Lord. Yes, he had a limp. A limp that he had to deal with for the remainder of his days, but he also had a new name, Israel. Which some say means “Prince”, and so his patience through his trials and testing yielded a new mature identity.

Isn't that what we have in Christ?  We're not to despise our weaknesses, but realize the trying of our faith, the test works patience through it all we become conquerors In Christ, because he's the one that strengthens us.  He's the one that cleanses us.  He's the one that matures us. Praise the Lord.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.  The Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.  When you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.  Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

Galatians 5:17-26

The Lord placed this subject in my heart months ago.  Since beginning to write it I have been reminded of my very own weaknesses. I myself during this time have been faced with and pressed greatly to return to old habits and ways of doing things.  You see my limp is going before the Lord and handling things the way I believe they should be handled, leaving Him out of the loop. Just as our mother Sarah had to learn, so have I.  I’ve been challenged greatly with that lately.  I thank the precious Comforter for reminding me of this so that my focus is on the promise and not on the circumstance.

Oh yes I struggle as we all do in battling weaknesses.  As they say, half the battle is being aware of those weaknesses.  However, we win victory over these weaknesses through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus.  So, be perfectly persuaded in your faith in Him and His finished work on the cross because:

“… we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!"  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.   For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”…  

2 Corinthians 5:16-20

If you have read all three articles, I appreciate your bearing of my many words.  I pray these articles, and the words of our Lord accomplishes what His Spirit has sent it to accomplish.

And now I speak a blessing: 

May the sweet aroma of The Spirit be with you so that in your comings and goings those who see you will recognize that the glory of the Lord is on you and within you.

Always praying for you,

Leta

Look for the upcoming article:  “Loved, But Not Embraced"